both of our cars have the lock/unlock feature. when i close the door to leave, i make sure to cover the area with my hand, and when i need to open the door, i reach inside. has worked 100% of the time, and i think it is an excellent feature. and we have disabled the auto open trunk on both cars. i see no need for the auto park feature. ever.

 

OP, it’s all in the way you touch the dimple. It’s not the fault of the key fob in your wife’s purse. Your problem is NEVER TOUCH THE FORWARD PART OF THE HANDLE WHEN LOCKING THE CAR.

There are 4 possible hand positions to lock the doors with the dimple locks on the exterior handles. Obviously a straightforward thumb push works but, personally, I find that awkward. My hand needs something to rest on.

Here are three other hand positions that work for me WITHOUT touching the front section of the handle. Again, NEVER touch the forward part of the handle when pressing the dimple.

UNLOCKING is simple too. Rest your hand on the handle, but don’t pull right away. Wait for a second. Then give it a yank. Violà!

 

OP, it’s all in the way you touch the dimple. It’s not the fault of the key fob in your wife’s purse. Your problem is NEVER TOUCH THE FORWARD PART OF THE HANDLE WHEN LOCKING THE CAR.

There are 4 possible hand positions to lock the doors with the dimple locks on the exterior handles. Obviously a straightforward thumb push works but, personally, I find that awkward. My hand needs something to rest on.

Here are three other hand positions that work for me WITHOUT touching the front section of the handle. Again, never touch the forward part of the handle when pressing the dimple.

UNLOCKING is simple too. Rest your hand on the handle, but don’t pull right away. Wait for a second. Then give it a yank. Violà!

huh... I will give those a try for sure... thanks!

 

I don't think I've ever been in a vehicle that disables locking the doors via the interior door lock button when the door is open.

Locking (and unlocking) this new Tucson is my biggest gripe (which lets you know how much overall I love this vehicle).

Turning off the engine, opening the door, and tapping the lock button on the interior door handle just seems like something all cars should allow to be done to lock the car.

Making it worse, the "touch and hold your finger for a couple of seconds on this little dimple area of the exterior handle after you exit and close the door" isn't very reliable. My wife likes to just leave her keys in her purse, and she often has to awkwardly raise up the purse to be closer to the handle for that to work, or dig out the keys to lock it with the fob.

Unlocking is similarly not 100% reliable, with the "put your hand into the gap of the door handle and hope the key fob is close enough for the doors to unlock" feature.

Because of the vehicle's ability to know if the fob is within a few feet for that remote park assist feature, and the auto-opening back hatch feature, it seems clear to me that the Tucson CAN easily detect the presence of the fob from a further distance, but the current thresholds in place for door locking and unlocking is set a little too severely.

Also, I would love it if there was an option we could enable to auto-lock when departing the vehicle and walking away.

So, to recap my gripes/suggestions:

• Allow us to use the interior lock button to actually lock the door when we exit the vehicle.
• Adjust the key fob sensitivit/distance allowances for the exterior locking and unlocking features
• Add an optional auto-lock feature when it detects the key fob leaving a sensible distance.
• BONUS - add in digital key support for iPhones

"Allow us to use the interior lock button to actually lock the door when we exit the vehicle." If this were allowed you could lock your key or key fob inside the vehicle!! Whether if this could be turned off you have to ask a Hyundai tech.
But believe me one day you will lock your key fob inside your SUV at the worst possible time.

 

I should revise that one... let us lock the vehicle with that interior button if the fob isn't in the vehicle. our previous vehicle would actually immediate unlock if you tried to lock it and the fob was inside, which was a great way to let us know we had left it inside.

 

There's been plenty of times I've exited the driver side door and keys on my person yet I couldn’t open any other door until I get back to the driver door and press the unlock button from inside the door panel, even pressing unlock on remote fob wouldn't do it. Really frustrating. So now I've set it up to unlock all doors on Park. I think that's sorted it out for me.

 

I'm trying to figure out why there is even a door lock inside of the car to begin with. Its absolutely worthless, you can't lock the car with it when exiting the vehicle and you can't unlock the door if the vehicle is moving. As far as locking the fob inside the car, this is the first car I have ever saw that will allow it to happen.

 

I don't think I've ever been in a vehicle that disables locking the doors via the interior door lock button when the door is open.

Locking (and unlocking) this new Tucson is my biggest gripe (which lets you know how much overall I love this vehicle).

Turning off the engine, opening the door, and tapping the lock button on the interior door handle just seems like something all cars should allow to be done to lock the car.

Making it worse, the "touch and hold your finger for a couple of seconds on this little dimple area of the exterior handle after you exit and close the door" isn't very reliable. My wife likes to just leave her keys in her purse, and she often has to awkwardly raise up the purse to be closer to the handle for that to work, or dig out the keys to lock it with the fob.

Unlocking is similarly not 100% reliable, with the "put your hand into the gap of the door handle and hope the key fob is close enough for the doors to unlock" feature.

Because of the vehicle's ability to know if the fob is within a few feet for that remote park assist feature, and the auto-opening back hatch feature, it seems clear to me that the Tucson CAN easily detect the presence of the fob from a further distance, but the current thresholds in place for door locking and unlocking is set a little too severely.

Also, I would love it if there was an option we could enable to auto-lock when departing the vehicle and walking away.

So, to recap my gripes/suggestions:

• Allow us to use the interior lock button to actually lock the door when we exit the vehicle.
• Adjust the key fob sensitivit/distance allowances for the exterior locking and unlocking features
• Add an optional auto-lock feature when it detects the key fob leaving a sensible distance.
• BONUS - add in digital key support for iPhones

Amen, My Brother! EXACTLY what you said. After 10 years of owing cars with passive door locking, I'm in the habit of closing the door and walking away with the door automatically locking behind me. For the 40 years before that, I was used to pressing the inside door lock button on the way out of the car to lock it. (In the later years the locks would instantly unlock after pressing the switch to indicate the key fob was still in the car and to keep you from locking yourself out.) Fixing this is just a software change, and Hyundai seems numb to this.

I'm amazed the vehicle can send me and email and text telling me I left my car unlocked . . . and tell me to lock it remotely but won't LOCK THE DOORS when I walk away. Silly.

 

Some old dogs can’t learn new tricks. It’s an old saying, but true.

I will say that the dimple (virtual) button on the front door handles is an annoyance versus the real buttons that Hyundai used in earlier years.

 

Hey, I learned how to install a front-mounted license plate just a week or two ago!

Believe me, this complain about the locks is, in the grand scheme of things, a very minor thing - we love the new Tucson overall. But, hopefully via a software update, Hyundai can make this annoyance go away completely.

 

Sorry to resurrect this thread, but I think it's better than starting up a new one since it is in the same vein.

What ways can you lock the Hybrid Limited from the outside while it is running? Use cases are things like running into the store real quick or I went outside started up the vehicle, but need to run back into the house or running the map update on the head unit while I was inside the dealership getting prices for installing a hitch, etc.

• Use the MyHyundai app to remotely lock the doors. Which is "ok" as there is usually a 30 second delay for the doors to lock which only works as long as you have a subscription for it.
• I haven't tried using the physical key and the emergency door lock hole on the door frame, but I suppose that should work.

After driving other brands of vehicles that allow you to lock the doors from the outside when the vehicle is running (not with the keys inside of course) I didn't realize how often I used that function of the vehicle locking system. I am not trying to come across as pedantic, just seeing if there are ways to enjoy the vehicle even more than I already do.

 

I hate to answer a question with a question, but since you are talking about the hybrid, when it's parked it's just sitting there on battery power without the ICE using gas. Why not just hit the start/stop button and lock it like normal rather than go through the contortions of using MyHyundai or the physical key?

 

I’ve got a Korean made Tucson and the same issue… can’t use the switch inside to lock the car when the car is off.

Why is this a problem? Often someone will stay in the car for a few minutes to finish a call or simply thought they’d stay in the car while I am shopping but decide not to. If I’m already gone with the key… they can’t exit and lock the door. And at least on my car, there’s no manual locking mechanism on the door. Wtf?

 

I’m guessing your last car was a ‘56 model. But seriously, when the keys leave, so does the control of your vehicle’s accessories. If it’s a big problem, leave your key with your passenger.

 

My problem with our 2021 Sonata Hybrid is with all the doors NOT unlocking when I put the car in park. I have checked the setting, but it still happens at least 50% of the time. It's soooo frustrating to exit the car, go to the back seat to retrieve purse, groceries, etc and the door is locked!! Now, the trunk won't unlock without a key being nearby. I also have trouble unlocking with my hand on the dimple - it will relock over and over instead of unlocking.
Now the check engine light is on..... says that I need to take it in for a systems check. I am loving the gas mileage, but miss my Lincoln MKC for its easy door unlocking/locking. Going to the dealer today for checkup. They'd better fix the unlocking feature......

 

My problem with our 2021 Sonata Hybrid is with all the doors NOT unlocking when I put the car in park. I have checked the setting, but it still happens at least 50% of the time. It's soooo frustrating to exit the car, go to the back seat to retrieve purse, groceries, etc and the door is locked!! Now, the trunk won't unlock without a key being nearby. I also have trouble unlocking with my hand on the dimple - it will relock over and over instead of unlocking.
Now the check engine light is on..... says that I need to take it in for a systems check. I am loving the gas mileage, but miss my Lincoln MKC for its easy door unlocking/locking. Going to the dealer today for checkup. They'd better fix the unlocking feature......

Do you have a ‘22 Tucson?

 

I'd take a simple key over anything key fob with this Tucson. Hyundai mastered the "if it aint broke, fix it until it is" scenario with the locking system on this car.

 

My 2006 CRV had the fob built onto the physical key. Nice design. Interesting though, my newer (2011) Honda Element has a separate locking fob along with a stand alone key. I just rented a Camry ( someone stole my catalytic converter) and their fob is like a key "switchblade". You push a button and the key pops out. The whole key fob/ pushbutton start / touch controls is all about remote controlling everything through your phone. IMHO it is a solution in search of a problem that never really existed. My 1999 CRV has a physical key but power door locks. You unlock the driver's door and then push the button on the door to unlock the other doors. Interestingly, it doesn't allow you to lock the door from the inside. You MUST use the physical key to lock the doors, making it impossible to lock your keys in the car. On the other hand, my daughter's old Altima's doors could only be locked by the lock button on the inside of the door or the fob. The key could unlock the car, but it could not lock it. Go figure.

 

My 1999 CRV has a physical key but power door locks. You unlock the driver's door and then push the button on the door to unlock the other doors. Interestingly, it doesn't allow you to lock the door from the inside. You MUST use the physical key to lock the doors, making it impossible to lock your keys in the car.

False. There's a hack to that.
With the door open, Hold the outer door handle open, push the lock button down.

 

Isn't it just as easy to turn a key?

 

Not when you've parked under a no-streetlight area and need to fumble to find the key hole.

 

I think post #26 (with my question included in the reply) sums up this issue nicely. In essence, the person holding the key is in command of the vehicle. Fine with me.

 

It may be fine with you, but it's obviously a minor inconvenience for some - this seems like a great optional feature they could add. I don't see any technological blockers. They already know if a key fob is in the vehicle or not. So, they just need to add an option that allows people to press the door lock button on the inside of the doors, and have that lock the doors under two scenarios - the door is closed (this works now) even when the fob is inside, and when the door is open, if the fob is not in the vehicle.

 

One use case I'd like to mention that perhaps has not been considered: with a hybrid, when you put it in park, it will most times shut off the engine and go into EV mode. When in park in EV mode, the car is totally silent. There have been a few times when I was extremely distracted by others that I have gotten out of the car when the car is still turned on but I thought I had turned it off. In this scenario, when I go to lock the Tucsons door with my finger/thumb, the car beeps immediately and will not lock. I've even stood there trying to lock the door several times with the car beeping profusely until I realize my knuckleheaded mistake!

Well, you might think that even if you could lock the door with the button inside the door, the car would realize its still running and not lock the door and beep at you. My wife has a Toyota Rav4 hybrid that you can use the inside button to lock the doors when leaving the car. In the case of my knuckleheaded scenario above where I am extremely distracted, when I press the lock button on the Rav4, the doors clearly lock as I can hear them engage. It's not until after I have locked it, closed the door, and have taken a few steps away from the car that the Rav4 realizes the car has been locked with the engine running and then will unlock the doors and then beep at me (btw, the same thing will happen if you leave a fob in the Rav4 and try to lock it and close the door). Because of the delayed beeping response of the Rav4, I have actually left it running (in EV mode) with the doors unlocked a couple of times! Worse yet, a few times my wife has heard the beeping and alerted me to my blunder .

So, in the case of the two scenarios above, I believe that the Tucson hybrid implementation of locking the doors is a better one.

PS: I do NOT have the early onset of dementia - just a man on a mission when I exit my car! 🏃‍♂️

 

I just been taken two or three fingers and quickly swiping the handle and walking away. No need to look for the sweet spot.

I don't want to be the fool to show up on U tube vid as the person fingering their '22 Tucson Hybrid limited for 5 minutes in the Walmarts parking lot.

Works everytime for me and is much faster then finding the indent and touching only it.

I swipe so fast, much like Flash Gordon fast, that I beat the beep.

After the lighting fast swipe, the beep is heard about 1 second later as I turn away and start my exit journey.

Return trips are easy. Walking up to the car the proximity light comes on just before I grab the handle and I pull once in one motion the door unlocks and opens, like magic.

Works everytime for me.

 

 

Has anyone figured this out? I can’t check to see if my doors locked after I press lock on my key fob. I want to check to make sure that they’re locked Bc I’m OCD and there is a lot of theft where I work, but when the key fob is in my purse it just opens back up again so I can’t personally validate that it is locked I just have to trust the beep and I don’t feel safe with that option Bc I don’t trust machines over myself all the time. Also, I can’t lock my doors from the inside of the car when parked. I’ve just bought this car and need to make sure that it locks because I work late at night and travel and don’t want to get mugged or something when parked! If this happens to a customer Hyundai will have a huge safety lawsuit! It needs to be fixed. My Mazda 3 was easy! I could lock my car from the inside check it to see if it were locked and the doors didn’t open Bc they’d only open if I double clicked unlock from the fob or pressed the button and pulled at the same time with the fob in my purse nearby. -but if I left the fob inside my Mazda 3 and shut the door it wouldn’t lock Bc of its fob sensors. Why does this 2022 Tucson not work like that? Safety is a big deal!! Also the gps doesn’t reflect the direction to turn in how many miles in front by the odometer screen instead I have to look all the way right away from the road which isn’t safe. 38,000, for all these bells and whistles but not really… I hope 🤞🏼 that the software can be updated!

I don't think I've ever been in a vehicle that disables locking the doors via the interior door lock button when the door is open.

Locking (and unlocking) this new Tucson is my biggest gripe (which lets you know how much overall I love this vehicle).

Turning off the engine, opening the door, and tapping the lock button on the interior door handle just seems like something all cars should allow to be done to lock the car.

Making it worse, the "touch and hold your finger for a couple of seconds on this little dimple area of the exterior handle after you exit and close the door" isn't very reliable. My wife likes to just leave her keys in her purse, and she often has to awkwardly raise up the purse to be closer to the handle for that to work, or dig out the keys to lock it with the fob.

Unlocking is similarly not 100% reliable, with the "put your hand into the gap of the door handle and hope the key fob is close enough for the doors to unlock" feature.

Because of the vehicle's ability to know if the fob is within a few feet for that remote park assist feature, and the auto-opening back hatch feature, it seems clear to me that the Tucson CAN easily detect the presence of the fob from a further distance, but the current thresholds in place for door locking and unlocking is set a little too severely.

Also, I would love it if there was an option we could enable to auto-lock when departing the vehicle and walking away.

So, to recap my gripes/suggestions:

• Allow us to use the interior lock button to actually lock the door when we exit the vehicle.
• Adjust the key fob sensitivit/distance allowances for the exterior locking and unlocking features
• Add an optional auto-lock feature when it detects the key fob leaving a sensible distance.
• BONUS - add in digital key support for iPhones

 

The locking of the doors...Rather than use the fob touch the handle to lock it. I say that because you can get a better feel that they are locked. But I get what you are saying it took me awhile to trust they were locked. You should hear them lock, hear a chirp, and the lights on the mirrors blink.

For that final check by pulling on the handle - the only thing I can think of is put the fob far enough away then pull the handle. It doesn't have to be very far.

You can also have Bluelink send you a message if the doors are left unlocked, and you can go online to see the current status of the doors.

 

Just try and undo a rear door. If it's locked, it won't open. Also, on mine, when I lock it, the mirrors fold in.

Alan

 

No won't tell you. The back doors can be locked and the driver's door not locked. In fact unless I unlock all doors that is always the case, there is no door handle to try except the driver's door to physically be sure that door is locked.

We don't have power folding mirrors. However as I mentioned in my post you can watch for the light on the mirror, or other lights to blink acknowledging the command.
But for someone who wants total confirmation the only way I can think of to pull the handle to be sure is to put the fob a distance away.

 

I don't think I've ever been in a vehicle that disables locking the doors via the interior door lock button when the door is open.

Locking (and unlocking) this new Tucson is my biggest gripe (which lets you know how much overall I love this vehicle).

Turning off the engine, opening the door, and tapping the lock button on the interior door handle just seems like something all cars should allow to be done to lock the car.

Making it worse, the "touch and hold your finger for a couple of seconds on this little dimple area of the exterior handle after you exit and close the door" isn't very reliable. My wife likes to just leave her keys in her purse, and she often has to awkwardly raise up the purse to be closer to the handle for that to work, or dig out the keys to lock it with the fob.

Unlocking is similarly not 100% reliable, with the "put your hand into the gap of the door handle and hope the key fob is close enough for the doors to unlock" feature.

Because of the vehicle's ability to know if the fob is within a few feet for that remote park assist feature, and the auto-opening back hatch feature, it seems clear to me that the Tucson CAN easily detect the presence of the fob from a further distance, but the current thresholds in place for door locking and unlocking is set a little too severely.

Also, I would love it if there was an option we could enable to auto-lock when departing the vehicle and walking away.

So, to recap my gripes/suggestions:

• Allow us to use the interior lock button to actually lock the door when we exit the vehicle.
• Adjust the key fob sensitivit/distance allowances for the exterior locking and unlocking features
• Add an optional auto-lock feature when it detects the key fob leaving a sensible distance.
• BONUS - add in digital key support for iPhones

Could not agree more...i hate new tucson locking features....i want to return it. Sometimes i do everything normal and when i shut the car it wont stop making a noice that the key is outside the car...when it is not true. And when that happens there is no way you can lock the f.... car unless yoi restart it and turn it off again. Also if you leave the door open and you find it that way there is no way to lock the door, because you don't have the key. Wow. Amd then you have all the noise that comes from the back seatbelts. Who's kids takes the time to put the seatbeltas in the hole provided so they wont bang againt the plastic....

 

Any Honda I have ever owned works like that. You cannot lock the car from the outside without a key or the fob. The interior lock only works to lock or unlock the car from the inside. And this : "Sometimes I do everything normal and when i shut the car it wont stop making a noise that the key is outside the car...when it is not true". If the key is not outside the car, then it must be inside the car, in which case the car will beep at you. It also won't let you lock the car with the lock buttons on the outside door handles if a fob is inside the car unless you have another fob within range on the outside. I discovered that when my wife left her fob in her jacket pocket, which was inside the car. I tried to lock the car with the outside buttons and the car just beeped at me because my fob was in my house. They cover just about every angle to keep you from locking your keys in the car.

 

Terrible, I didn't know, I had an old accord model, so locking was not an issue. But it is not well thought off. For example i get home from the super market and my family helps me unload the groceries. My kid is the last one to brink stuff and should be able to lock the door so that I, which have the key, do not have to go and lock it.... basic 101 locking needs.

 

The easy answer to me is to simply use the remote - it reaches a really long way, many stories up in a Hotel room, all the way to the other end of my house etc. For most people I bet you could just hit the lock button once everyone is done unloading the few groceries we can now afford...

Seems like Hyundai could have had that button work, have the button work only when the key is not in proximity. However I too have had on my last car wtih keyless start where that lock button did not work after turning off the car so it isn't just Hyundai.
What I don't like is how Nissan does it on my Wife's new car. You can lock the door with the fob inside. Yes you can unlock it as if you were holding it but so could anyone else if they decided to try and you didn't realize it was in the car.

 

Yep, agreed. We've now had our 2022 Tucson for over 18 months, and the locking/unlocking is my biggest ongoing gripe (which means that overall I'm super happy with the vehicle). I still on occasion grab the door handle and pull it before it unlocks. And I am still confused and annoyed that as I am exiting the vehicle with my keys in my pocket, I can't just press the lock button that's on the door handle to lock the vehicle, before I close the door.

 

I'd at least like to know their reasoning. That said I am so used to just swiping when I close the door it isn't an issue for me anymore. In fact when I get out of our other car that doesn't have a touch lock I still swipe out of habit.
But leaving someone in the car to finish something before getting out or whatever reason they have no way to lock the car. Doesn't seem logical.

 

If its not broke, fix it until it is. Thats the only logical reason I can think of the Hyundai could mess up something as simple as a door lock.